And, this being D.C. cherry blossoms burst into peak bloom ... For most of the afternoon, the wind blew from the balmy south, at a subdued pace. It was nobody’s gale. It did reach 16 mph ...

The tree branches sway in the wind, showering the waterways with cherry blossom pedals and turning them pink. This scene, called hanaikada, or "flower raft," signals the end of the cherry blossom ...